Newsletter - Spring 2014-15

Reminder: Add Day is Approaching

Just a friendly reminder that the last day for adding courses and removing incompletes is this Friday, April 17th. Please remember to bring your add cards to the Registrar's Office by 5:00pm on Friday.

Grad Fair - Today, April 15th

Stop by Caltech's 2015 Grad Fair, Wednesday, April 15th from 10am to 3pm in front of the Caltech Store.

Last Day to Apply for Masters Degree for 2015

Graduate students who intend to earn a Master of Science degree this June must submit their application for the degree by Add Day, April 17th. Simply click on the Graduate Degree Progress button within REGIS, then the M.S. Candidacy tab to apply online. Note: students who enter the Institute holding a master's degree from another institution will not normally be awarded a second master's degree in the same field.

Reminder – the Financial Aid Office has a hard deadline and will not process any applications for undergraduate financial aid completed after April 24, 2015. Therefore if you are still planning on applying for aid for the 2014-15 academic yearyou must submit all the required documents before the published deadline. Otherwise, you will need to find alternative ways to finance your education at Caltech. If you have any questions and/or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us via the phone at (626) 395-6280, email at finaid@caltech.edu or stop by our office at 383 S. Hill, 2nd Floor.

The hard deadline for graduate students is May 15, 2015.

33 vs 36 Units & Academic Eligibility

Students must be enrolled in 36 units per term to be considered full-time students, and be eligible to participate in NCAA sports. In order to remain academically eligible to enroll in the next term, students must have passed at least 33 units of the minimum 36 units for full time with a grade point average of at least 1.9.

Students who are underloading may be excused from the 33-unit eligibility requirement if they have an underload petition approved by the deans (or the Registrar in the case of graduating seniors) prior to ADD DAY. If a student gets an underload approved by Add Day for less than 33 units, he or she must complete the number of units approved on the underload.

If you have questions about underloading and how it impacts the new rules for eligibility, please feel free to see the Deans or the Registrar.

Incompletes from Previous Terms for Graduating Seniors

Seniors who may have incompletes (E or I grades) from previous terms must have their final grades submitted by May 11th. Adequate time must be afforded for instructors to grade the work and to submit the final grade to the Registrar, therefore students must complete and turn-in their outstanding work to the instructor(s) a week prior to May 11th. Incomplete grades which are not removed by May 11th will become F grades for seniors.

TQFR Prize Winners and Excellent TAs for Winter Term

Many thanks to all of the students who evaluated their courses through the TQFR. Your feedback and comments are very helpful to the faulty and TAs. Here are the lucky prize winners of $20 gift cards to Amazon.com from winter term:

We wanted to also congratulate three outstanding TAs who really made an impact.

Tal Einav for Ph 1b, Analytical – Tal is a G2 in Physics whose enthusiasm for the subject was described as contagious. "Super engaging, well versed in the material, focused on class participation and really cared that everyone in the room understood everything that was done to work out the problems."

Ahmad Omar for ChE/Ch 164 – Ahmad is a G2 in Chemical Engineering who was always accessible to students throughout the term. Ahmad was described as 'having a generous temperament' and 'an incisive understanding of course material.'

Panagiotis Natsiavas for Ae/AM/CE/ME 102B – Panagiotis is a G3 in Mechanical Engineering who was deemed 'an absolute lifesaver.' 'Panos showed a true concern for students' understanding of the material' and was 'always willing to help those who are having trouble with the material.'

Thanks, Tal, Ahmad and Panagiotis, for making a difference in the academic lives of our students. We appreciate all the time, effort and enthusiasm you put into your work with students.

Courses used to fulfill the advanced humanities and advanced social science requirements must be taken for a grade. Advanced Humanities and Advanced Social Science courses taken on pass-fail will only be applied toward the Additional HSS course requirement. This term, BEM107 is offered as pass-fail only, therefore will not fulfill the Advanced Social Science course requirement. For further clarification on Core Institute requirements, please consult the Catalog you entered under or stop by the Registrar's Office and we can assist you.

Advising Requirement for all Undergraduates

Caltech undergraduate students are required to meet one-on-one with their advisers at least once a year.

Advisers have been given several online tools to record meetings with their advisees and students will be able to see whether they have satisfied the requirement through an Advising Status presented on REGIS. Students who do not satisfy this advising requirement before Add Day of springterm will be placed on hold, preventing them from enrolling during online registration for the following fall term. Students can download a form and ask their adviser to sign as a way for them to initiate contact with their adviser and fulfill the advising requirement.

Several tools are available on REGIS to assist the faculty in helping your advisees. Advisers you can record meeting notes from advisee meetings, view previously entered notes, set Advising Holds on students and indicate when an advisee’s advising requirement has been met within the My Advisees webpage.

The “Advising Arena” website at http://www.registrar.caltech.edu/advising describes the details of the advising policies and online functionality. This link is available within the REGIS application as well. Please check it out! If you have feedback about the content, please let the Registrar’s Office know and additional materials can be added or updated.

As of April 8th, only 59% of undergraduates have been recorded as meeting the advising requirement. Go talk with your adviser today if your advising status on REGIS is not green with a message that you have satisfied your requirement!

Commencement 2015

This year's commencement ceremony will be held Friday, June 12th on Beckman Mall. All undergraduates participating in the ceremony should be at the steps of Parsons-Gates by 8:45am that day for a group photo. Graduate students should arrive by 9:15a.m on the south side of Millikan Pond. For further information, please see http://commencement.caltech.edu.

Important Dates

April 17

Last day for adding courses and removing incompletes

April 29 - May 5

Midterm examination period

May 11

Midterm Deficiency Notices due - 9:00 a.m. & & Last day for seniors to remove conditions and incompletes

May 15

Last day for scheduling examinations for the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Engineer

May 20

Last day to drop classes or to exercise your P/F option

May 21

First day of registration for summer and fall term

May 25

Memorial Day (Institute Holiday)

May 29

Last day of classes - seniors and graduate students

Last day for presenting theses for the degrees for Doctor of Philosophy and Engineer

June 3-5

Final examinations for seniors and graduate students

June 5

Last day of classes for undergraduates; Last day to register for summer and fall terms